This Is The Life You Made For Me
by TheRealBakura
Summary: A Yu-Gi-Oh! - Harry Potter crossover. No actual summary yet.
1. Prologue

The white cat stood on the edge of a tree branch, watching as a little white fox dashed over to an owl and a human being, who were standing on top of a inclined plane of land. The owl turned to face the fox as it ran towards him, and the figure of the owl vanished to reveal a human being, catching the fox in his arms as it approached. The cat leapt from the top of the tree, and ran over to them to watch.

As he climbed up onto the edge, he saw the little white fox become a human, as well, and the boy who was the owl was now playing with and teasing the boy who was the fox, only seconds ago. It seemed that the other person with them could not transform as they did. But, that man did see the white cat staring at them at the edge of the inclined plane, which fell down like a cliff; but, it still had to be, at the most, a twenty-foot drop.

Standing at the edge of it made the cat gulp. He was about to take a step forward, but the man who was a human from the start looked at him, and the cat froze.

"Okay, Bakura," the man said, smirking, "you don't need to stay disguised."

The white cat hissed as it turned into a human, who was growling. "Malik, maybe I wanted to stay as I was."

Malik smirked. "What were you planning on doing, in animal form, Bakura? Catching mice? Playing cat and mouse?"

"I don't like revealing my true form, Malik!", Bakura shouted.

The two boys behind them were still playing hard-to-get with one another. Bakura turned around to face the boys as Malik started to do the same. He watched as the boy who was once the little white fox fell off the edge of the inclined plane, and fell. Bakura dropped to the ground and caught his hand. He pulled the boy up, right into his arms.

"Ryou, don't do that!", he scolded. "I thought I was going to lose you!"

Ryou nodded, then Bakura proceeded to tickle him, just a little. Ryou giggled, then Bakura let him down. The boy who was the owl only seconds ago came over, and stood next to Bakura. Bakura got a chill up his spine.

"He's still so child-like," he said. "I mean, he acts like a toddler in all given ways- Heck, I saw him throw a tantrum earlier. He doesn't even talk, he just makes little noises. Have you found out what's wrong with him?"

Bakura only sighed. "All I that he's sick."

"Sick? That's all you can tell me?", the boy asked.

"Yeah. I still don't know with what," Bakura informed him, "but, we'll figure it out."

"We?"

"Ryou," Bakura said, pointing to him.

"How long do you suppose he'll be like that?", the boy asked.

Bakura groaned. He was getting annoyed with all of the boy's questions, and he really didn't want to answer. "Well," he started, "the second we find out what his condition is, the sooner we can start finding a cure. However, seldom seen cases have very little medicine. I don't know what he has, and I've never seen it before. So, I can well assume that Ryou is a special case."

The boy smiled. "Well, let me know anything you find out. He **is** my best friend, you know."

Hikari to Hikari. Yami to Yami never worked out, but, the Hikaris got along just fine. It made Bakura wonder if Yami and Hikari worked. "So, tell me, Marik. Is Malik, over there, an Animagus, as well? Or, is he just weak on magic?"

"He's a Squib. You knew that already," Marik answered.

Bakura chuckled. "Yeah. That's why I'm not surprised. Malik couldn't even lift a wand to save... his... life."

Bakura turned around. He had heard whispering. Then, as he turned around, he saw it. Malik saw it, too. A group of three humanoid figures, covered in tattered, pitch black cloaks, hovering just about three or four inches off the ground. It was nearing them. Bakura and Marik both raised their wands.

"Expecto Patronum!", both boys shouted.

Bakura looked warily behind him. Another one was nearing Ryou. Ryou was standing on two feet, now, and he had his wand raised, as well. "Expecto Patronum!", he screamed.

At that second, a silvery white mist came out of all three wands, and formed itself into the shape of an animal. Bakura's, a cat. Marik's, an owl. Ryou's... Malik couldn't believe his eyes. A unicorn for a Patronus. The silvery white animals came and circled around the cloaked figures, causing them to turn the opposite direction and go away. Suddenly, Malik screamed.

The fourth one had him in it's clutches. Marik raised his wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

But, it was too late. Malik fell to the ground, cold. His heart was still beating, and he was still breathing, but his soul had been sucked from him, and he was dead on the inside. Marik went over to Malik, and picked up his body.

Ryou came over. He seemed to be acting like a child again, but was really being mature, as he was standing on his own two feet, leaning into Bakura, and crying on his shoulder. Bakura wasn't emotional now, and he certainly wouldn't be later. He still felt a pang of guilt, though, for not having sent his Patronus sooner. In reality, he had seen the cloaked figure, the Dementor, approaching Malik, and he had decided to ignore it, and let him die. Bakura knew it was his fault.

That was how they lost Malik.


	2. Journey to Hogwarts

It was five years before Malik's death.

Marik was practically abused by Malik, so he decided to stay with Ryou and Bakura. In all honesty, he didn't mind it a bit. Ryou was his best friend, after all, so he had a lot more fun than he would've with Malik, who was always telling him to do things, and then, what he was doing wrong.

Not like it was much different living with Bakura.

Bakura was a wizard, so he was able to make threats that Malik, a squib, was not. Marik still remembered that, several times, Bakura had forced his wand out of his hands, then trapped him in a room that required a key to unlock. Bakura would take his wand, point it at the door, shout "Colloportus", and leave.

Marik would be trapped in there until Ryou would retrieve the key for him. Sometimes, Ryou would just bring Marik his wand instead, and with a quick cry of "Alohomora", he was out.

It still infuriated Bakura. For years, he had been trying to be able to have Ryou do something when he needed him to, but he was defiant. Then, right out of the blue, Marik is able to do it. The sixteen-year-old was cunning, that much was true, but he was also weak in certain fields, fields which Bakura just couldn't figure out.

One particular day, Marik was trapped in the room again, and Ryou was asleep. Normally, when Ryou fell asleep, he was napping for two or three hours at a time, so Marik knew he would be in there a while. Then...

"Alohomora!"

The door opened. Marik knew the voice. It was Bakura. Bakura had never let him out before, it was always Ryou. Why would Bakura suddenly have a change of heart on him?

The door swung open, and Bakura was behind it. "Here," he said, throwing a letter at Marik.

Marik picked it up, and read the front of the envelope. Finding his name and address on the front, he quickly opened it with excitement. The paper inside it read:

 **Dear Mr. Ishtar,**

 **We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

 **Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **Minerva McGonagall**

"Ryou got one, too," Bakura told him, seeing the excitement on Marik's face.

Marik squealed, and ran right out of the room. Ryou was on the floor of the living room, playing around with some small wooden blocks. Marik looked in fear, as Bakura came up behind him. "Of course, I may have to write back and explain... this."

"What's wrong with him?", Marik asked.

Bakura picked him up. He was surprisingly light for an 11-year-old. "I think a disorder of some sort. He's acting like a..."

"A two-year-old," Marik said.

Bakura shook his head. "Younger than that. I've never seen a two-year-old play with those little wooden blocks before."

Marik nodded, and Bakura handed Ryou to just smiled, and hugged Marik tightly. Bakura was holding a phone in his hand, and Marik heard that he was calling a doctor. Marik stroked Ryou's head, and hugged him.

"Don't worry," he told Ryou, "Bakura's gonna help you. We're going to get you some help."

He looked up at Bakura, who was cursing his mouth off. "They say they need to see him in mid-September. I won't have him, then. I think I'll actually have to write this letter by hand, and send it with you. Now, I anticipated that you and Ryou would receive your Hogwarts letters, so..."

He opened a closet, and inside were the supplies written on the list that both Ryou and Marik had, and things that appeared to be for later years. Marik looked at it in amazement. Bakura handed Marik two birdcages, each one with an owl in it.

"The black one is Ryou's, yours is the brown one. I have a white owl; I didn't want any of us three to get mixed up. If we did, we'd be sending the wrong letters to the wrong people, and that's not a very good thing," Bakura said. "I'll send your letters in reply, and you'll be on Platform 9 ¾ by the 1st of September!"

Marik could only smile. Ryou did, too.

* * *

"Well, this is it," Bakura said.

Marik could only stare at the Hogwarts Express, he had never seen anything like it in his life. He felt Ryou grip tighter onto his shirt, and Marik had let his arms droop to his sides as he came onto the platform. He realized it as he felt Ryou slip, so he helped him back up, and wrapped his arms around him.

Marik knew he would be with Ryou every step of the way. In the letter Bakura had sent to Hogwarts in early June, he explained that whatever house Marik was in, Ryou had to be in, too. Ryou would also have the same schedule, and if anything happened to Ryou, Marik would be the first person to be reached out to. Ryou was in good hands.

"Hello!"

Marik turned around. A girl. Marik just looked at Bakura. "Girls are wizards, too?!"

"Yes," the girl said calmly, a smile on her face, "but we are, of course, witches." She extended her hand. "My name is Akamai. Akamai Frether."

Marik put his hand to hers. "Marik Ishtar," he introduced himself.

"Pureblood, Halfblood, or Muggleborn?", Akamai asked.

Marik raised an eyebrow, and turned to Bakura. "Marik is a Halfblood," he answered. "His mother was a Pureblood witch, and his father was a Muggle."

Akamai nodded. "So, who's that? Is he your little brother?", she asked, pointing to Ryou.

"This is my best friend, Ryou," Marik told her. "He's got a disorder of some sort that makes him act much younger than he really is. So, he's with me."

"That one's Pureblood," Bakura said.

Akamai turned to face him. "Yami Bakura. It's been, what?"

"A year."

They hugged. Marik tried not to look.

"All aboard for Hogwarts Express!", a voice shouted.

Marik and Akamai shook hands, then rolled their carts onto the train. Marik was lugging two behind him, having to carry Ryou. Akamai was only carrying one. It didn't take Marik long to notice the black-as-night cat on her cart.

"What's with the cat?", he asked.

"You have an owl. Your friend has an owl. I have a cat," Akamai said.

Marik nodded, understanding it. He walked the opposite side of her to find a train car.

* * *

There were already two boys sitting in the train car Marik decided to sit in. One had short black hair, round glasses, and a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. The boy next to him was just a little shorter than he was, and had unruly, bright red hair on the top of his head, and an excessively large amount of freckles.

Marik sat opposite them, with Ryou still on his lap. The two boys stared at this like it was the strangest thing they had ever seen.

"Hey. Why is he sitting on your lap?", the red-haired boy asked.

Marik looked up. "Oh. He's sick. Really sick. He's also just... really clingy," Marik explained.

"What's wrong with him?", the boy continued to ask.

"We don't know yet, but we'll figure it out," Marik told him.

"We?", the boy asked him.

Suddenly, Bakura came bursting in through the doors of the train car. "There you are! I've been all over this bloody train car looking for you two! 'Where the bloody hell is he', I wonder. 'He's probably being an idiot,' I suppose. And, look! You are being a...!"

"Bakura," Marik muttered.

"What?!", Bakura asked, furious.

Marik pointed at the two boys behind Bakura, and Bakura froze. He got red in the face, and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry for intruding in here like this," he apologized, "I'll just stay here."

Bakura sat next to Marik. Ryou began to moan.

" **'** Kura...", he moaned. " **'** Kura..."

"Here," Marik said, giving Ryou to Bakura.

Bakura laughed just a little as Ryou hugged him tightly. "There we go. That's my Ryou."

The two boys on the other end of the room looked nervous, watching the scene. Marik was able to detect anxiety when he saw it, and this was definitely it. Marik looked away from Bakura and Ryou in an attempt to change the subject.

"So, I'm Marik Ishtar," he said, extending a hand right in between the two boys.

The dark-haired boy shook hands with Marik first. "I'm Harry Potter," he introduced himself.

The red-haired boy went next. "Ron Weasley," he told Marik.

"The older kid who just came in here, that's Yami Bakura. He's a sixth year. Ryou Bakura, the kid in his arms, there, that's his younger brother. He's a first year, like me. What about you two?", Marik asked.

"First year," Ron said, raising his hand a little.

"Same, here," Harry answered.

"Well, looks like we'll be seeing each other every now and then," Marik said, smiling.

Bakura sat up, putting Ryou to his side. "We'll see. It all depends on what house you're sorted into," Bakura said.

"Where did you end up?", Ron asked.

Bakura smiled, and moved his arm to show off the patch on his Hogwarts robes. Green, with a silver snake on it. "Slytherin," he said proudly.

"Slytherin?", Marik asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There are four houses," Bakura began to explain, "Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Your traits, qualities, and personality all help sort you. People in Gryffindor are brave, people in Ravenclaw are smart, people in Slytherin are Purebloods, and people in Hufflepuff are loyal.

"I have a feeling you're going to end up in Ravenclaw. If Ryou wasn't forever in the same house as you, he would join me in Slytherin, or be shoved in Hufflepuff."

"You know," Ron started, "They say that all bad wizards ended up in Slytherin. Who's to say you won't go bad?"

"I have Ryou," Bakura answered.

Marik could only smile at the comment as both he and Ryou passed out where they lay.

* * *

Marik woke up, with a smiling Ryou on top of him. "Marik! Marik!", he cheered with happiness.

Marik cuddled him tightly. "How long was I out?", he asked.

"A couple hours," Bakura answered. "We'll be there any minute now. Don't go back to sleep, and keep Ryou with you at all times."

Ryou giggled as Marik lifted him up. "Won't let go of him," Marik promised, doing a salute as Bakura nodded. Suddenly, a loud clank, and the train stopped.

"EVERYBODY OFF!", the conductor shouted. The students all stood up, and began to walk off. Marik followed Bakura, and Harry and Ron started to follow Marik. As Bakura walked off, there was a tall man with a long beard shouting "ALL FIRST YEARS COME WITH ME!" In all directions.

Harry ran up to him. "Hagrid!", he shouted in happiness.

Hagrid wrapped an arm around him. "Harry! Okay, you and your friends take that boat right there," he said, pointing to a boat on the river.

As Ron and Harry climbed into the boat, Marik looked at Hagrid. He quickly walked over to the boat, but paused as he felt a large, warm hand on his shoulder.

"It's nice to see you, Marik," Hagrid said. "What's going on with Ryou?"

Marik was astounded, but cleared his throat and tried to act casual. "He's sick. We don't know what's going on with him, but we're trying to find out."

"Ah, Bakura. Just, let me know how he's doing every now and then, heh?", Hagrid asked.

Marik nodded lightly, and ran to the boat that Harry and Ron were sitting in. He kept Ryou pulled tight to him; he did not want to break his promise of never letting Ryou out of his sight. He didn't want to face a punishment from Bakura if he were to lose Ryou.

As Marik looked at the boat, he noticed it was wooden and worn out. It looked like a rowboat, but it didn't have any oars. Suddenly, the boat started moving by itself, and Marik let out a little squeal of fear as he kept his right arm held tightly around Ryou, and his left hand held tight on the edge of the boat. Marik expected Harry and Ron to look back at him as if he was crazy, but he noticed that the two of them were gripping onto the rim of the boat for dear life, as well.

He took in a breath of fresh air as the boats stopped at a dock on the Hogwarts palace grounds. Marik took in another breath as he slowly walked into Hogwarts.


	3. First Day

It amazed Marik as he walked in. There were candles floating in the air, and the ceiling was definitely closed in, but it looked like a night sky. There were four gigantic lunch tables, two on each side of the room. Marik looked straightforward rather than up, to see Hagrid in front of him.

"Just sit where you like," he told the first-years, "you'll be sorted into your houses momentarily."

Marik followed Harry and Ron, and sat right in between the two. Both of them turned to look at a man that was dressed in sky-blue robes, with a silvery-white beard. He gave a speech, one that Marik wasn't listening to because he was having to deal with Ryou, who was crying softly, like a... well, a baby. Then, he started to hear names.

"Sarah Bones!", an elderly woman shouted.

A young girl went up and sat on a wooden stool. A tattered hat has placed onto her head. Suddenly, the top of it separated itself from the rim. "HUFFLEPUFF!", it shouted.

The hat spoke. Okay.

"Ryou Bakura!", she screamed.

Marik couldn't do anything. He held Ryou tight to him. Ron elbowed Marik in the side.

"Take him up there!", he whisper-shouted.

Marik shook his head. "I can't. But, Bakura sent a letter, they should understand why I can't, though!"

"Ryou Bakura?", the woman shouted again, this time, confused.

Marik looked over at the table that all of the Slytherin students were sitting at, to see Bakura standing up, and walking up there. The elderly woman looked disgusted at first, but as Bakura began to speak, she seemed to suddenly realize something, then sent Bakura on his way.

"Hmm. Harry Potter!", she shouted.

There was a hushed silence around the room, as Harry stood up, and walked up there. he sat on the wooden stool, and the talking hat was placed on his head.

It took almost 3 or 4 minutes, then finally, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

There was the biggest applauding that Marik had heard that night. Harry ran over, and sat next to Ron.

"Hermione Granger!", the woman shouted.

A young girl stood up and walked to the wooden stool to sit on it. The hat was placed on her head. After a around 20 or 30 seconds, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!", and the girl sat to Harry's left, considering that Marik was to his right.

"Oh, Marik," Harry said, "this is Hermione."

Marik met his hand with hers. "Marik Ishtar," he muttered.

"Hermione Granger," she introduced herself.

She switched her gaze to the elderly woman standing next to the stool, with the talking hat in her hand. Marik switched his gaze, as well.

"Draco Malfoy!", the woman shouted.

A young boy with blond hair, slicked back, took his seat on the wooden stool. The hat didn't even need two seconds to know what to do with him.

"SLYTHERIN!", it screamed.

The kid took his place at the Slytherin table, right next to Bakura. Marik felt nervous, for whatever random reason.

"Marik Ishtar!", the woman shouted.

Marik gulped, and stood up. As he walked up the carpeted path, he heard idle chatter among the students.

"Who's that with him...?"

"Why does he look so nervous...?"

"The kid, there, in his arms, he looks like the sixth-year Slytherin that just came up here..."

"That kid looks his age, why is he clinging onto him...?"

Marik was more nervous than ever. As he sat on the stool, the hat was not placed on his head. The hat was handed over to Hagrid, and the elderly woman extended both of her hands out toward him.

"Here," she whispered, "let me take him."

Marik shook his head, backed up a little, and held on tighter to Ryou. Hagrid handed the elderly woman the hat, then came up to Marik, so they were looking at one another, face to face.

"Marik, you need to give Ryou to Professor McGonagall.", Hagrid told him, speaking with a whisper.

Marik shook his head. "You don't understand," he told him, whispering. "I promised Bakura that I wouldn't let him out of my sight."

"Bakura? Oh, lord...!"

Hagrid stomped off, and came back dragging Bakura by the front of his robes. By now, the whole room, including Harry and Ron, were staring, and Marik could just barely pick out Akamai at the Ravenclaw table, crying her eyes out. Marik sighed.

"Why in the world did you make him promise you not to leave him?!", Hagrid whisper-shouted in Bakura's face, putting his hands on his shoulders and shaking him a little.

"He's my little brother. I want him to stay safe. And get your bloody hands off of me, Hagrid!", Bakura shouted, trying to stay quiet but also make his point across.

Bakura's head raised up a little, as if something had just dawned on him. He reached his hands out to Marik. "Give Ryou to me. I'll hand him right back to you as soon as the banquet starts."

Marik nodded, hugged Ryou, and handed him to Bakura. The hat was then placed on his head.

He heard the hat's voice mutter. "This is very hard. Brave, like a Gryffindor. Smart, like a Ravenclaw. And, even loyal, like a Hufflepuff. Not a Pureblood, though. You can say goodbye to Slytherin. Still, you're brave and compelling, and are skilled in many magical fields. Better be...

GRYFFINDOR!"

There was cheering. Marik ran over to Bakura, and he was given Ryou. He ran to the Gryffindor table, and sat right next to Harry and Ron.

"Ronald Weasley!", Professor McGonagall shouted.

Ron nervously walked up and sat on the stool. The hat was placed on his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!", it screamed.

Ron's red face was now smiling as he ran back to the Gryffindor table, right in between Marik and Harry.

"I'm not surprised, actually," Ron told them, "all of the Weasleys have been in Gryffindor."

Marik only nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly paused as he heard Ryou begin to make noises.

" **'** Kura... 'Kura..."

Marik started to pet Ryou. "You can't, right now, okay? I'll get you to him as soon as I can, okay?"

Hermione looked at Ryou, unsure of what to think. "Is there something wrong with him?", she asked.

"He's got a condition that his brother and I just can't figure out," Marik explained, "So, he's staying with me for a while."

"Who is he?", Hermione asked.

Marik glanced over at the Slytherin table. "You know that kid who went up there when Ryou Bakura was called up?" She nodded. "That's Ryou's older brother. He went up there to explain that Ryou couldn't come up there because of his condition. This is Ryou."

Hermione opened his mouth, and made it look like she was saying "Oh..." in realization, but no noise came out. It was simply a mouth movement.

The wizard with the sky-blue robes and the long, white beard stood at the wooden podium again. "And, to another good year at Hogwarts! The feast may begin!"

The empty platters in front of Marik were suddenly filled with food. His plate was sitting there in front of him, empty, and he was ready to fill it up. He grabbed the empty plate next to him first. He simply put a dollop of mashed potatoes on it, and stuck a spoon in it. He held Ryou out, so he was laying on his lap. Ryou was sucking on his thumb, so Marik pulled it out. Ryou began to cry, not too loudly, but loud enough to make Harry, Ron, and Hermione stare.

He looked at them, and laughed nervously. Hermione put a hand on Harry's shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Harry turned to Ron, and whispered another thing in his ear. Ron only nodded, and the three went back to eating. Marik smiled, let out a sigh of relief, and picked up the spoon of mashed potatoes. He tried to put it into Ryou's mouth, but Ryou was still crying.

Marik hugged him, and started to rock him a little. "Don't worry, it's okay. I just want to feed you."

"Want 'Kura! Want 'Kura!", Ryou screamed.

Marik felt a hand on his shoulder. "Pass the plate," the person told him. "And, the kid."

Marik looked over. It was another person. This person resembled him, but his hair stuck up- truly stuck up, it was pointy at the top. Otherwise, he and Marik looked nearly the knew who he was.

It was Malik.

Marik warily slid the plate over to him, and was **extremely** cautious in giving Ryou to him.

"Want 'Kura! Want 'Kura!", Ryou was still screaming.

Marik sighed. "It's not going to work, I'll have you know. You're not..."

Suddenly, Ryou quieted. He smiled as Malik, a complete stranger to him, slowly put a spoon of mashed potatoes into his mouth, and he seemed to be begging for more every time a spoonful went down his throat. Marik watched in amazement.

"How?", Marik asked, barely able to breathe.

"Poor Ryou, here, he knows ," Malik explained. "He's comfortable with me."

Marik's teeth were now clenched. "Listen, little brother," Malik said, "you don't have to live with me. I'm a Slytherin."

"How? You're not a Pureblood!", Marik informed him.

"Heh. You don't know this, but you're my half-brother. My Halfblood half-brother. I, however, am a Pureblood. That helped me gain my entrance into Slytherin. And, you know, his older brother is a good friend of mine... sometimes. Other times, we're rivals. You know what that's like.", Malik said.

Marik was still furious, watching Malik hold Ryou. "You're frenemies," he muttered.

"Precisely," Malik said.

He dove back onto the plate with the spoon, but the plate was empty. Malik went over to a bowl, and got some corn. He put the spoon into it, and fed it to Ryou.

"Yeah, you like that, don't you, Ryou? Yeah, yeah, you do. That's my Ryou," Malik baby-talked Ryou, trying to act paternal.

Marik balled his hands up into fists, and bit his bottom lip to keep himself from yelling at Malik. He found that simply biting his lip was not helping, and he decided to do the painful act of biting his tongue. He was screaming inside his head.

After the bowl of corn and another bowl, this one of green beans, were devoured, Malik gave Ryou back to Marik. "Just let me see the poor thing every now and then.", he said, walking back to the Slytherin table, and sitting down on Bakura's right.

Marik's stomach was churning. He did not want to eat anything; he was afraid that he would throw up if he did, and he did not want to do that with Ryou in his arms, much less, at a dinner table. Marik gagged every now and then, just smelling the food.

Ryou had a response to it every time he heard it: just to hug Marik, possibly in hopes of making him feel better. It seemed that the second he had gotten some food in his stomach, Ryou had cheered up, and was trying to force Marik into the same extremely happy mood.

It wasn't really working, but it made Marik smile every now and then. Maybe that's because he considered him a small child at that moment; he had been dealing with Ryou under this condition for a few months.

The wizard in sky-blue robes stood up to the podium again. "All depart!"

All of the students stood up. There was another student leading the group of Gryffindors, he seemed to be just about a year younger than Bakura- that would've made him a fifth-year student.

"All Gryffindor first-years, follow me!", he was shouting.

Marik, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all followed the group of other first-years following the fifth-year student. The staircases they were walking on moved- not like an escalator, but, rather, the whole staircase moved at an angle to change it's direction.

The paintings on the walls they passed by were pictures of people- famous witches and wizards, Marik supposed- and the people inside the paintings were able to move and talk. Even though he was used to magic and the concept of it, this was a kind of magic that Marik just couldn't handle, and Marik had told himself that he would be able to handle any kind of magic he saw at Hogwarts.

They finally stopped at the rooms Marik supposed were the dormitories for the school. Marik took in a deep breath as he followed Harry and Ron into the boy's dorms.

* * *

"So, Ryou's just going to be with you forevermore?"

Hermione had joined the boys inside the dormitories, and had been asking Marik countless questions about Ryou. She was either very curious about or very interested in Ryou's condition.

"Yes," Marik answered, then quickly thought about his response. "Actually, we need to find out what's going on with him. If we can get some medicine for him, then, maybe, he'll recover, and he'll be able to think and fend for himself."

Hermione nodded, and scribbled Marik's answer onto a piece of paper. Ever since she had started asking Marik questions about Ryou, she wrote the answer on paper. Maybe she was hoping to use these answers to figure out what Ryou's condition was, or something along those lines.

After a few more questions, Hermione left, holding three or four pieces of paper in her hands, all written on, back to back, with the answers to her numerous questions about Ryou and his condition.

Ron looked at her as she left, mostly focused on the papers in her hand. "That girl is mental!", he shouted.

Marik didn't necessarily agree, but he thought Ron was at least 75% correct. He looked down at Ryou, who was asleep in his arms. He smiled, and started to stroke his hair.

"You're going to sleep with me tonight, my sweet Ryou. You'll be safe with me," he whispered in Ryou's ear.

He tried to ignore the awkward stares Harry and Ron were giving him.

He pulled out his wand, and put it onto Ryou's back. "Silencio," he muttered.

Ryou's snoring became nothing but breathing. Harry and Ron looked at Marik, amazed. "And, that'll keep you from waking anyone up with your crying tonight. I'll let you make some noise at breakfast, okay?"

Ryou gripped on to Marik's robes, tighter. Marik hugged Ryou tighter, taking it as a "yes". He walked over to his bed, laid down, and covered himself, with Ryou still in his arms. A thought dawned on him. He pulled out his wand again.

"Protego Totalum," he muttered, and put his wand away, once more. "There. Now, I won't lose you."

He cuddled Ryou as he began to slowly fall asleep.


	4. Lesson One! Wait, What?

Marik woke up in Bakura's arms. He didn't remember falling asleep with him, but he was there. He glanced oer at Bakura. There was a tattoo on his arm; it depicted a green snake coming out of a white skull. It took a few seconds for Marik to feel the sensation of movement. Bakura was running.

"Bakura, where's Ryou?", Marik asked.

Bakura kept running. Marik tried to look behind him. Malik was chasing them, holding a wand in his right hand. Malik also had that weird mark on his arm, in the same place Bakura had it.

Marik sat up. "What are you doing, Bakura?! He's a Squib; he can't hurt us! Stop running! You don't need to be afraid of him! Stop running! STOP! STOP RUNNING, NOW!"

Every time Marik told him to stop running, Bakura sped up a little. Then...

"Avada Kedavra!"

Bakura fell to the ground. Marik fell, back first, onto the ground. He crawled over to Bakura, and put two fingers on his neck. Nothing. Bakura was dead. Marik stood up, and began to run. If he had an older brother who could use magic that had the ability to kill, he had good reason to run away and be scared.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Marik fell dead.

* * *

 _Is this real life? Is this a dream, or not? What does Avada Kedavra even do? It kills. It kills, for sure. I'm scared, now, if this is real life. Where was Ryou? Had he already killed him with Avada Kedavra? I'm confused._

 _Why was Bakura holding me? Why was Malik able to use magic? So many questions, so many answers. I don't know anything. At least Ryou's still with me._

Marik looked up from the ground. Harry and Ron were awake and dressed, and had their stuff with them, waiting by the door for him. Marik disabled the protection spell, and began to get dressed, making sure to hold on to Ryou's hand the entire time.

Marik ran, trying to catch up with Harry and Ron as they headed to class.

"Where's your first class?", Harry asked Ron.

"Potions," Ron answered. "What 'bout you?"

"Same here," Harry answered. He turned to Marik. "What about you, Marik?"

Marik shook his head. He couldn't shrug his shoulders because he was carrying Ryou on his back. "I didn't get a schedule."

"That's because you don't need one. Potter, Weasley, to class. Ishtar, stay here."

Harry and Ron scuttled away to get to Potions class. Marik looked up. He was looking right into the eyes of Professor McGonagall. He remembered. McGonagall had tried to take Ryou from him, but Marik wouldn't give him to her. Bakura ended up having to come up there and take Ryou for the moment, instead.

Marik wondered if McGonagall was angry with him for that.

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," he greeted her kindly. "Is there a reason you would like to speak with me?"

"Yes," she answered. Her voice seemed to quiver as she spoke. "You didn't receive a schedule because of Ryou. You need to take care of him. We can supply you with magic lessons when there are other people to look after him, maybe on...!"

Marik interrupted her by taking out his wand. Ryou was silent, but he was crying. "Speaking of magic," he said, and put the tip of it on Ryou's back, "Sonorus."

Ryou's crying sounds became heard, although they weren't very loud. McGonagall looked at Marik with her jaw to the floor.

"You... you know magic," she said.

Marik nodded. "How?", McGonagall asked.

"Bakura taught me when I came over to his house. Got me this wand, and everything," Marik answered.

"Bakura. I should've known," she said, balling her hand into a fist. She dropped her arm to her side and opened her fist. "So, how many spells do you know? Which ones?"

"Quite a few," Marik answered. "Oh, by the way, I had this weird dream last night, and there was a spell name in it that I didn't recognize. Do you know what 'Avada Kedavra' is?"

McGonagall grabbed his wrist and pulled him off to somewhere.

* * *

"...and he says that the spell was used in this dream. Marik, who used the spell?", McGonagall asked.

"Malik, on Bakura and me. Bakura and him, they had these weird marks on their arms; a green snake coming out of a human skull," Marik answered.

McGonagall looked back at the wizard she was talking to. It was the same white-bearded wizard in the sky-blue robes as last night, from the feast. "Marik, this is Headmaster Dumbledore. I want you to tell him about the dream.", McGonagall said, pulling out a chair for Marik to sit in.

Marik sat down, holding Ryou in his lap. He slowly, carefully told Dumbledore about the dream, telling him about every detail that might've been important. By the end of it, Dumbledore stratched his beard and looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"Well," he started. "In all my years, I never thought **you** would have such a prophetic dream."

Marik looked back at McGonagall. She nodded at Dumbledore. Marik screamed.

"How come everyone knew me before I even came here?! How come everyone knows Ryou?! Why is everyone always mad at Bakura for everything?! I don't know anything, and you all know everything!", he shouted.

McGonagall put her hand on his shoulder, and he took in a deep breath. "Marik," McGonagall said, "your mother's sister was..."

"Who?", Marik asked.

McGonagall froze. "I don't want to say," she said to him.

Dumbledore stood up. "Professor McGonagall, it is vital that Marik knows this information. Tell him who is aunt was."

McGonagall took in a deep breath, slowly letting it out of her mouth. She then began to speak.

"Marik. There were two sisters. One was named Lucretia, and the other was named Timaelia. Lucretia married a man named Kaito, and they had two sons and a daughter together. Timaelia married a man named Dante, and the two had a daughter and two sons, along with adopting a son.

"Timaelia died in childbirth with her youngest child: her son. Her husband wasn't there for her death, as he was naming the child and having him blessed. Her husband was later murdered, but we don't know who did it. Her children were found later, but one of the people there for her son's birth was a witch.

"Lucretia and her daughter died in a car crash. Her husband sent his sons away from England to Japan. Coincidentally, Timaelia's children were also on their way there. They met there. Lucretia's sons were named Ryou and Yami, although Yami was called by his last name, Bakura, instead. Timaelia's children were named Odion, Ishizu, Marik, and Malik."

Marik froze. _My best friend is my cousin. My best friend's brother is my cousin. My siblings were the cousins of my best friend, and his brother. Too much! It's just too much!_

"But... but Malik's my half-brother. He can't be...", McGonagall put a hand up to stop him.

"He was your father's child before he married your mother. That's why he's a Pureblood, and you are not. Your mother was a Muggle-Born witch, you see.", McGonagall explained. "Now, I know it's going to take you a minute to adjust to everything, but I want you to go back to your room and tend to Ryou.

"Can you do that for me?"

Marik gulped, but nodded, then walking out of the room.

* * *

McGonagall still hadn't told Marik why everyone knew him and his cousins. All he found out was that he and the Bakura family were cousins. Was that a bad thing? Maybe, maybe not. Did Bakura know? Did Malik know? Did Ryou know? Marik hadn't known before then.

He decided not to mention it at all to Malik or Bakura. It was better if he didn't mention it then trying to explain everything by himself. He slowly dozed off in front of the fire, Ryou asleep on top of him.


End file.
